Brick-cutting machine.



No. 7I|,896. Patented Dot. 2|, |902.

H. L. HIX.

BRICK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1901.) (No Model.)

4 Sheds-Sheet I.

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WITNESS-S. i /NVENTOH .Jj/7g HOwardL-L'x.,

No. 7|l,896. Patented Oct. 2|, |902.

H. L. HIX'. f BRICK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application med sept, 11,1901.) (No M'udel.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.l

un "n IIIIIn I I W/7'NESSES.' l /N VENTO/ gota-OLT No. 7||,896. Patented oct. 2|,- 1902.

H. L. mx.

BRICK CUTTING MACHINE.

:Application led Sept. 11, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

w/TNESSES THE cams arcas co., Pnoaauwo.. wAsruNnToN. o. c.

Patented Det. 2|, |902.

No. 7|I,896. j

H. L. HIX.

, BRICK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application led Sept. 11, 1901.) I (No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

W/TNESSES UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD L. HIX, OF FRANKFORT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE WALLACE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FRANKFORT, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

BRICK-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 711,896, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed September 11, 190]. Serial No. 75,054. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: as seen from the dotted line 8 8 in Fig. 4;

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. HIX, a citi- Fig. 9, a detail sectional view along a portion zen of the United States, residing at-Frankof the central shaft, showing a portion of the fort, in the county of Clinton and State of shaft itself in elevation on the dotted line9 9 Indiana, have invented certain new and usein Fig. 4; Fig. 10, a detail sectional View of 55 fulImprovementsinBrick-CuttingMachines, the cutter-carrier-driving pinion,showing how of which the following is a specification. it is held on its shaft; and Fig. 1l, a detail The principal object of my said invention sectional View, also an enlarged scale, as seen is to produce a machine by which bricks can from the dotted line ll ll in Figs. l and 2 Io be out by power machinery from a column of illustrating the relation of the cutters to the 6o clay while the same is issuing from the claypallets more plainly. preparing machine,thereby securing the mak- This machine asa whole is mounted on a ing of a considerable number of bricks at one frame preferably consisting of bed-timbers operation and without the employment of the 2O and 2l and cross-bars 22, 23, and 24. Cenlarge amount of manual labor commonly retrally on the latter is the main shaft 25, 65 quired for the purpose. Its leading characwhich is mounted in suitable boxes or bearteristic is that the structure carrying or emings and is shown as driven from a counterbodying the pallets by which the brick or shaft 26 through a pinion 27 and a spur gearcolumn of clay is supported also carries the wheel 2S, said shaft 26 being driven from any zo cutting appliances, and the whole apparatus suitable source of power, (not shown,) a 7o moves concurrently and uniformly with the sprocket-wheel 29 being shown as the immecolumn of clay While the cutting operation is diate means to which the driver may by congoing on, while the cutting appliances are nected, as by a chain belt. driven by power without interrupting the Upon the timbers 2O and 2l are the tracks movement. 30 and 31, kwhich carry a reciprocally-moving 75 Referring to the accompanying drawings, structure, and upon this in turn is mounted which are made a part hereof and on which a cutter-carrying structure. Said reciprosimilar reference characters indicate similar cally-moving structure is composed of end parts, Figure l is a front elevation of a maframes and 41 and connecting bars and 3o chine embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, rods 42, 43, 44, and 45, and this frame is 8o a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a plan view Amounted on four trucks or wheels 46, which of the operating-shaft and gearing,'the cutrun on the tracks 30 and 3l. lIlXtending out ting mechanism, the receiving and carryingfrom the frame of said reciprocally-moving off tables, and other upper works being restructure is an arm 47, upon the under side 35 moved; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the maof which is a rack-bar 48, which engages with 85 chine with the receiving-table removed as a pinion 49 (see Figs. 3 and 5) on a counterseen from the dotted line 4 4 alongside Figs. shaft 50, which is disposed at right angles 1 and 2; Fig. 5, a sectional View looking from with the main shaft 25 and has a bevel-pinthe rear toward the front of the machine, the ion 5l on its inner end, which engages with 4o point of view being indicated by the dotted asimilar pinion 52. Said pinion forms part 9o line 5 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6,`a detail sectional of a spool-shaped structure whose other end view of one of the cutter-wire tension devices has a clutch part 53, and said structure is on an enlarged scale, the tension cam and mounted to revolve freely on the main shaft spring being shown in the loosened position 25, but is held from longitudinal movement in full lines and in the tightened position on said shaft byacollar 54. Asecond clutch 95 (similar to that shown in the other figures) part is mounted to move longitudinally in dotted lines; Fig. 7, a detail sectional view, but not revolubly on the shaft 25 and is on an enlarged scale, iooking in the direction adapted to engage with and drive the looselyindicated by the arrows from the dotted line mounted spool-shaped structure at proper 5o 7 7 in Fig. 4; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view times, as will be hereinafter described, and roo through the bevel-pinions 52 and 51, the shaft 56, the spur-pinion 49, Jthe rack-barl 48, and the arm 47 to draw the reciprocally-moving structure along its tracks a certain distance, thus returning said structure periodically to position to receive a fresh portion of the column of clay to be converted into bricks, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

In operation the column of clay which is to be cut up into bricks emerges from the nozzle N (see Fig. 1) of the clay-preparing machine and is thence delivered onto a traveling belt 60, which is arranged to receive it and over which it passes to the cutting portion of my. machine. Between said belt and said cutting portion of the machine is the lubricator 61 for the clay column, as is common. On the shaft of one of the rolls, which carries the belt 60, is a cam 62, (see especially Fig. 2,) which operates a vibrating lever 63, which in turn by means of a link 64 is connected to a latch 65, which is adapted when in its lowermost position to engage with a catch 66 on the arm 47, (when the latter? has reached the limit of its movement,) and these parts serve as adetent whereby the reciprocally-moving structure is held to saidl upon the reciprocally-moving structure Willbeimpelled (by the advancing column of clay) along its tracks, the frictional contact being such that the cam 62 will operate to disengage the detent composed of the latch 65 and catch 66 just at the instant the column of clay has advanced to the point where the cut- 1 ters should or may be operated to cut a se- 1 ries of bricks. The number of bricks to be mined when the machine is built.

bricks at each operation, there being ten cutting-wires shown in place. The bricks after being cut are received and carried away by the off-bearing belt B, (see Fig. 1,) which preferably moves at a somewhat-greater speed than the advancing column of clay, and thus tends to separate the bricks somewhat as they come from the machine, as will be readily understood. This belt is shown as being driven by a belt B' from a counter-shaft B2, which is driven from the shaft 25.

The ends 40 and 4l of the reciprocally-moving structure are formed with circular tracks, and these are arranged inside of said ends, facing each other. Said ends also have spokelike arms which extend to the center, where they carry the non-revoluble shaft 67. This shaft is shown as being square in form for the greater part of its length; but any other shape which would hold the parts mounted thereon securelyand rigidly might be adopted. As best shown in Fig. 11, a series of narrow pallets 68 are carried by this shaft 67,

each of said pallets being of a width about equal to the thickness of a brick. In order to stiften the structure on the side wherethe clay-receiving tables and pallets are carried, brace-arms 69 are provided as a part of the structure, as shown in Figs. 4 and 11, these leaving substantially a rectangular opening through which the column of clay travels. The square shaft 67 has a series of round places turned thereon to receive the inner cutter-wire supports, as Will be presently described.

The circular tracks 70 and 71 on the end frames 40 and 41 receive the trucks or wheels 72 of the revolving frame or cage, upon which in the construction shown the cutterwires are mounted. Said frame or cage consists of annular rims 7 3, connected by two series of rods 74 and 7 5, Upon the ends of the rods 74 the trucks 72 are mounted. These run on the circular tracks 70 and 71 of the main frame of the structure, said rods thus serving as axles for said trucks. The rods 75 carry the outer cutter-wire holding and straining devices, While the shaft 67 carries the inner cutter-Wire-holding devices. These inner cutter-wire holders are composedof two halves 80, fitting together to form a ring, the two parts being united by bolts or screws 8l. They are mounted in circular grooves turned in the shaft 67 and are adapted when in operation to revolve around said shaft. They are provided with hook-like projections 82, equal in number (four are shown) to the number of cutter-wires, to which the inner ends of said cutter-Wires 83 are connected. The outer cutter-Wire holding and straining devices are each composed of a body-block 84, a spring 85, a cam 86, and preferably a setscrew S7. The rods 75 are rigidly secured in the annular rims 73, and the body-blocks 84 are rigidly secured on said rods by means of the set-screws 87. This admits of some adjustment of said blocks in case 0f necessity. The springs 85 are secured to said blocks by means of cap-screws 88 and sweep out around free from the remainder of the structure until they rest upon the cams 86. The points of said springs are hook-shaped to receive the outer ends of the cutter-Wires. Said cutterwires after being hooked onto the hooks 82 are brought out to the outer portion of the frame or cage and drawn over suitable bearing-points 89 on the body-blocks 84 and then hooked onto the ends of the springs S5. The cams 86 are then turned from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position most clearly shown in Fig. 11, which (the length of the Wires and the position of the parts having previously been properly determined and adj usted) gives these Wires just the proper tension to cause them to work in the desired manner. Thesprings 85,while strong enough to hold the Wires to considerable tension, will yield somewhat when the cams 86 are adjusted and also yield slightly in case the wires come in contact with obstructions in doing ICO their work. The yielding, however, is in no case sufficient to cause the Work to be badly done, except where the character of the obstruction is such as to necessarily break the Wire or deflect it from its course.

The cutter-carrying frameor cage carrying the cutter-wires is, as heretofore indicated, to be operated and the bricks thus cut from the column of clay during the travel along its tracks of the structure carrying said frame. I have shown as the means of thus operating said cutter-carrying frame a large circular rack-bar 90,surrounding and secured thereto, and a long pinion 91, adapted to engage with said rack-bar and mounted on the main shaft 25. The rack-bar 90 I prefer to secure to the rods 74 and 75 ata point about midway between the two rims 73, this being a convenient location therefor. The pinion 91 is revolubly mounted on the shaft 25, but is held from longitudinal movement on said shaft by an ordinary collar 92 at one end and a small collar c within the clutch at the other. Said pinion is shown as having one member 93 of the clutch formed on its hub. The other member 94 of said clutch is arranged adjacent to the member 93 and is longitudinally but not revolubly mounted on said shaft 25. It is adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the clutch member 93 by means of a trunnion-ring 95 and a lever 96, engaging with said ring, these parts being of a well-known construction. The 1ever 96 is connected to a hand-lever 97 by means of a link 98, and the clutch is thus adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement at will. In operation after the latch 65 has been thrown out of engagement with the catch 66 and the reciprocally-moving structure thus permitted (under the impulse of the moving column of clay) to begin its travel, which, as before stated, owing to the frictional contact between said column of clay and the pallets and other clay-supporting parts carried by said structure is uniform therewith,the operator by means of the handlever 97 throws the clutch driving the pinionv 91 into engagement,and this (through the circular rack 90) propels the cutter-carrying frame until one series of the cutter-wires have passed through the portion of the column of clay at the time in their path and severed the same into bricks. The operator then gives the lever a reverse movement, throwing the clutch out of engagement and stopping the movement of the frame. The last-mentioned movement of the hand-lever also (through the link 100, the lever 101, and the trunnionring 102) throws the clutch part 55 into engagement with the clutch part 53, which, as previously described, (through the pinion 49, arm 47, and its rack-bar,) drives the reciprocally-moving structure inthe opposite direction until it reaches the limit of its movement. This limit is determined by means of a pushrod 110, which is placed in the path of said limit of its movement should the operator (by.

accident or negligence) fail to move the handlever 97 at the proper time. The time that this operation takes place automatically by the means stated can be adjusted with the greatest nicety by means of the adjustingnuts 113 and 114 on the link 112, said link being screw-threaded and provided with these nuts for that purpose. The machine being thus provided with an automatic throw-out device for the clutch no damage can occur because of a too protracted engagement thereof, either on account of carelessness of the operator or by reason of any accidental happening. As will be noticed by an examination of the drawings and as appears from the foregoing description, the two clutches are so connected as to be both operated by the single hand-lever 97. This is not only a matter of convenience in operation, but insures that both clutches shall never be in engagement at the same time, so that danger of damage from this source is Wholly eliminated. When the clutch 55 53 is thrown out of engagement by the push-rod 110, however, it does not operate to throw the clutch 93 94 into engagement, the adjustment being such that .the movement stops short ofsuch a result, so that a further movement is required before the last-named clutch becomes operative.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a brick-cutting machine, of a supporting structure, a reciprocally-moving structure mounted on trucks on said supporting structure and provided with pallets for the reception of a column of clay and adapted to be propelled in one direction by said column of clay as it issues from the clay preparing machine, a power driven shaft journaled on the main frame, a proj ecting arm attached to the reciprocally-moving structure and carrying a rack-bar, gearing for connecting said driving-shaft and said rack-bar, mechanism for throwing said gearing into and out of engagement at the limit of the movement, and a rotary cutter-carrying structure mounted on circular tracks on said reciprocally-moving structure and gearing connecting the same with the main driving-shaft, substantially as setl forth.

2. In a brick-cutting machine, the combination, of the main frame, a reciprocallymoving frame mounted on trucks thereon, circular tracks on said reciprocally-moving frame, a rotarycutter mounted on said circular tracks, a circular rack-bar on the cutter structure, a main driving-shaft journaled on the main frame, gearing connecting the IOO IIO

truck-frame with said main driving-shaft, gearing for connecting the circular rack-bar of the cutter structure with said main driving-shaft, means for throwing each of said sets of gearing into or out of engagement, and suitable links and levers connecting the gear-operatingdevices whereby the operation of one cannot take place without the operation of the other, substantially as set forth.

3. In a brick-cutting machine, the combination, of the main frame, a reciprocallymoving frame mounted on trucks on said main frame, a rotary cutter structure carried by said reciprocally-moving frame, a circular rack-bar thereon, a longitudinally-extending rack-bar extending out therefrom, a main driving-shaft journaled on the main frame provided with loosely-mounted gears engaging said circular rack-bar and said longitudinally-extending rack-bar, clutch mechanisms for connecting said gears with said drivingshaft, links and levers connecting said clutch mechanisms whereby they are operated in unison, a part extending from the clutch-lever into the path of the reciprocally-moving frame, whereby when said reciprocally-moving frame reaches the limit of its movement in one direction it will automatically throw vsaid clutch out of engagement and release itself for its return movement, substantially as set forth.

4. In a brick-cutting machine, the combination, of the main frame, the reciprocallymoving frame thereon, circular tracks on said reciprocally-moving frame, a cutter-carrying structure mounted on said circular tracks, a central shaft rigidly mounted in said cuttercarrying structure, pallets for receiving the clay rigidly mounted upon said shaft, inner cu tter-holdin g devices mounted to revolve on suitable seats on said shaft formed to receive the inner ends of the cutters, outer cutterholding devices carried by the cutter-carrying structure formed with expanding parts for regulating the tension of the cutters, and said cutters mounted on said inner cutterholding devices on the shaft and the outer cutter-holding devices ou the cutter-carrying structure and passing over said expanding devices, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 7th day of September, A. D. 1901.

HOWARD L. HIX. [L. s] 

